The first India vs Afghanistan (IND vs AFG) ODI faces the prospect of a wash-out as there is heavy rain predicted for most of the day. The match is set to be played at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association stadium in Dharamsala.

So far, this stadium has hosted nine ODI games.

The game, which is expected to begin at 1:30 PM, could face a late start as there is 49% chance of rain. That gets elevated to 70-75% between 2 and 3 PM local time, which means that the game could lose more than two hours of play. There is a good chance that the thunderstorms could subside by 5 PM.

The groundsmen would need some time to clear the field of the water in a bid to start play for a shortened affair.

If that doesn’t happen, then the first game could end in a damp squib with both sides moving to Lucknow for the second game to be played on 17th June.

Dharamsala Pitch update

If the game does start, then the captain winning the toss will want to bowl first since the wicket was under covers.

One can expect good seam movement, and the windy conditions will also mean that the ball will swing a lot, especially under lights. As seen in the IPL, the team batting second tends to do well since gripping the ball will be an issue.

The highest team total at this venue is 388, all out, scored by Australia in the 2023 ODI World Cup game against New Zealand. India recorded the lowest total at this venue, as the hosts were bundled out for a mere 112 against Sri Lanka during the 2017 ODI series.

Probable Playing XIs

India – Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Harsh Dubey, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, and Prince Yadav

Afghanistan – Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid KhanAllah Ghazanfar, Fareed Ahmed Malik, Ziaur Rahman.